Russian Racewalker Elena Lashmanova banned, will be stripped off from Olympic gold medal

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Monday that Russian race walker Elena Lashmanova has been suspended for two years for using prohibited substances. She will be stripped of her 2012 Olympic gold medal in the 20-kilometre race.

In London, Lashmanova won gold by defeating compatriot Olga Kaniskina, who was later stripped of her silver medal for doping. Lashmanova then went on to win gold in the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, a title she will now be stripped of.

A violation of World Athletics anti-doping rules"- The AIU

The allegations, according to the AIU, are based on data from the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Also on the evidence that was presented by Richard McLaren, who conducted investigations into state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes.

"Russian race walker Yelena Lashmanova has been banned for two years. Starting 9 March 2021, for the use of prohibited substances, a violation of World Athletics anti-doping rules," the AIU said in a statement.

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"Lashmanova has accepted the sanction proposed by the AIU. She is set to lose gold medals from the women's 20-km race walk event at the London 2012 Olympic Games. And 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow," they added.

Elena Lashmanova previously received a ban as well

In 2014, Elena Lashmanova received a two-year doping suspension. Viktor Chegin, her coach, was banned from athletics for life in 2016 as a result of the Russian doping scandal.

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World Athletics suspended Russia's athletics federation in 2015 following a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigation alleging state-sponsored doping, which Moscow rejected.